This invention relates to a mobile medical X-ray apparatus and, more particularly, to an X-ray apparatus of a kind carried on a mobile table.
A mobile X-ray apparatus of this kind has been disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication Jikkai 2-55919, characterized as having an X-ray source and an X-ray detector supported at both ends of a C-shaped arm held by a holder attached to a support column which is vertically moveable with respect to a wheeled table such that the heights of the X-ray source and the X-ray detector can be freely and conveniently adjusted. A spring is provided such that its force will balance the total weight of the components supported by the support column for vertically moving the C-arm holder, the X-ray source and the X-ray detector such that their heights can be adjusted without exerting a strong force. An apparatus thus structured, however, requires a large number of components for balancing and varying the directions of the forces since ropes and pulleys are used to balance the weight of the apparatus components with the force of the spring. Moreover, the mechanism is complicated and takes up a large space. As a result, some of these additional components must be placed inside the base part of the mobile table although this base part should preferably be reserved for a better use such as for housing the steering mechanism. If this cannot be done, a so-called rear wheel steering mechanism may have to be incorporated although it is not an ideal mechanism for such a medical apparatus from the point of view of operability.